The Parable of the

Dishonest Steward
Luke 16:1-13
 THE PARABLE OF THE
DISHONEST STEWARD HAS TO
BE UNDERSTOOD IN THE LIGHT
OF THE PALESTINIAN CUSTOM
OF AGENTS ACTING ON BEHALF
OF THEIR MASTERS AND THE
USURIOUS PRACTICES
COMMON TO SUCH AGENTS.
 THE DISHONESTY OF THE
STEWARD CONSISTED IN
THE SQUANDERING OF HIS
MASTERS PROPERTY (LK
16:1) AND NOT IN ANY
SUBSEQUENT GRAFT.
 THE MASTER COMMENDS
THE DISHONEST STEWARD
WHO HAS FORGONE HIS
OWN USURIOUS
COMMISSION ON THE
BUSINESS TRANSACTION BY
HAVING
THE DEBTORS WRITE NEW
NOTES THAT REFLECTED
ONLY THE REAL AMOUNT
OWED THE MASTER (I.E.,
MINUS THE STEWARDS
PROFIT).
THE DISHONEST STEWARD
ACTS IN THIS WAY IN
ORDER TO BEFRIEND
HIMSELF WITH THE
DEBTORS BECAUSE HE
KNOWS HE IS BEING
DISMISSED FROM HIS
POSITION
(LK 16:3).
 THE PARABLE, THEN,
TEACHES THE PRUDENT
USE OF ONES MATERIAL
GOODS IN LIGHT OF AN
IMMINENT CRISIS.
THE MASTER IS AN
ABSENTEE LANDLORD AND
 NOT A BELOVED FIGURE
IN PALESTINE OR THE
GRAECO ROMAN SOCIETY.
THE MASTER BELIEVED
EVERYTHING THAT HE
WAS TOLD.
 THE STEWARD
SAID TO HIMSELF,
WHAT SHALL I
DO, NOW THAT MY
MASTER IS TAKING
THE POSITION OF
STEWARD AWAY
FROM ME?
I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH
TO DIG AND I AM ASHAMED
TO BEG.
I KNOW WHAT I SHALL DO
SO THAT, WHEN I AM
REMOVED FROM THE
STEWARDSHIP, THEY MAY
WELCOME ME INTO THEIR
HOMES.
 He called in his masters
debtors one by one. To the first
he said, How much do you
owe my master? He replied,
ONE HUNDRED MEASURES OF
OLIVE OIL. He said to him,
Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one
for FIFTY.
 Then to another he said,
And you, how much do
you owe? He replied,
ONE HUNDRED KORS OF
WHEAT. He said to him,
Here is your promissory
note;
write one for EIGHTY.
And the master
commended that
dishonest steward for
acting prudently.
VERSE 16:6 One Hundred
Measures
LITERALLY, ONE
HUNDRED BATHS. A
BATH IS A HEBREW
UNIT OF LIQUID
MEASUREMENT
EQUIVALENT TO
EIGHT OR NINE
GALLONS.
VERSE 16:7 One Hundred Kors
A KOR IS A
HEBREW UNIT OF
DRY MEASURE FOR
GRAIN OR WHEAT
EQUIVALENT TO
TEN OR TWELVE
BUSHELS.
1 KOR IS TEN TO
12 BUSHELS
VERSE 16:9 Dishonest Wealth

LITERALLY, MAMMON OF
INIQUITY. MAMMON IS THE
GREEK TRANSLITERATION OF A
HEBREW OR ARAMAIC WORD
THAT IS USUALLY EXPLAINED
AS MEANING THAT IN WHICH
ONE TRUSTS.
IN GOD WE
TRUST
 THE
CHARACTERIZATION
OF THIS WEALTH AS
DISHONEST
EXPRESSES A
TENDENCY OF WEALTH
TO LEAD ONE TO
DISHONESTY.
ETERNAL DWELLINGS: OR,
ETERNAL TENTS, I.E.,
HEAVEN.
 LESSON/
Application of
the Parable
Verse 16:8b9 RECOMMENDS
THE FOLLOWING:

a.PRUDENT USE OF
ONES WEALTH
(IN THE LIGHT OF THE
COMING OF THE END
OF THE AGE)
 AFTER THE MANNER
OF THE CHILDREN OF
THIS WORLD,
REPRESENTED IN THE
PARABLE BY THE
DISHONEST STEWARD.
 Verse 16:10-12

b. CONSTANT
FIDELITY TO THOSE
IN POSITIONS OF
RESPONSIBILITY.
 Verse 16:13

c. INCOMPATIBILITY
OF SERVING GOD
AND BEING A SLAVE
TO RICHES.
 TO BE DEPENDENT UPON
WEALTH IS OPPOSED TO THE
TEACHINGS OF JESUS WHO
COUNSELED COMPLETE
DEPENDENCE ON THE FATHER
AS ONE OF THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE (LK
12:2239).
GOD AND MAMMON: SEE
LK 16:9. MAMMON IS
USED HERE AS IF IT
WERE ITSELF A GOD.
ARE YOU FOR
GOD
OR ARE YOU
FOR
MAMMON ?